Door return and check mechanism



Jan. 31, 1961 c. G. PIERIE DOOR RETURN AND CHECK MECHANISM:

Filed July 20, 1959 mm 4 u 6 5 m w L. Q Q m BE Q my NM Q \N WEE 1 Q 1 nN hm \M m \&

United States atent O DOOR RETURN AND CHECK MECHANISM Charles G. Pierie, Huntingdon and Creek Roads, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

Filed July 20, 1959, Ser. No. 828,147

2 Claims. (Cl. 16-49) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in doorchecks and the like and more particularly to a door return and check mechanism adapted to be positioned between a door and a frame or other stationary support to insure a quick and smooth cushoined return of a door to the closed position.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide novel return mechanism for a door or the like operable to return a door to a closed position and cushion the terminal portion of the closing stroke of the door to thereby prevent the door from slamming.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a spring biased return mechanism for a door or the like having cushioning or buffer means operable to normally urge a door toward the closed position and cushion the return of the door.

A further object of the present invention is to provide novel spring biased return mechanism for a door or the like in which a single spring member serves as a compression spring to force the door closed and as a torsion spring to resist movement of the door during the terminal portion of its closing stroke.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide novel spring biased return mechanism for a door or the like having the features and characteristics set forth above which is of relatively simplified construction, may be manufactured easily and cheaply and is entirely efficient and effective in operation and use.

These and other objects of the present invention and the various features and details of the construction and operation of an embodiment thereof are more fully set hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the door return and check mechanism of the present invention in the closed position.

Fig. 2. is a similar view showing the position of the parts in the fully extended position;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4- is a perspective view of one yoke portion of the mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the coil spring and spirally fluted stud;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the other yoke portion of the mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the guard washer which is positioned on the cradle to insure proper positioning of the spring; and

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing the mechanism installed between a door and a frame.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, there is illustrated therein an embodiment of a door return and check mechanism made in accordance with the present invention which comprises a cradle 10 formed by a pair of coacting yokes 11 and 12 slidably mounted for telescoping movement relative to one another between a closed and an extended position. A compression spring Patented Jan. 31, 1961 13 is restrained between the two yoke portions of the v a cradle and normally urges the yokes toward the closed position. The one yoke 11 can, for example, be attached to a door frame 14 as illustrated in Fig. 8 with the other yoke 12 being attached to a door or the like 15 with the compression spring 13 operable normally to urge the door to the closed position.

The one yoke 11, as illustrated in Fig. 6, comprises a pair of spaced leg members 16, 16 terminating at one end thereof in a loop portion 17 to permit the yoke member to be easily secured to a bracket or the like mounted on the door frame 14. The opposite ends of the leg portions 16, 16 are fixedly secured to a broached end plate 18, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 6 with a broached opening 19 extending entirely through the end plate, as more fully described hereinafter. The other yoke member 12 also comprises a pair of spaced parallel leg members 21, 21 terminating at one end thereof in a loop or eye portion 22 to permit the yoke portion 12 to be readily secured to a bracket or the like secured to the door 15. The other ends of the spaced leg portions 21, 21 of the yoke 12 are secured to an end plate 23, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 4, of the drawings. Pairs of openings 24, 24 and 25, 25 are provided in the end plates 18 and 23, respectively, to receive the leg portions of the yokes 12 and 11, respectively, with the leg portions of the yoke 11 passing through the openings in the 7 end plate carried by the yoke 12 and the leg portions of the yoke 12 passing through the openings in the end plate carried by the yoke 11, for example, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 so that the yokes may be actuated longitudinally with respect to each other between opened and closed positions.

In accordance with the present invention, the compression spring 13 is positioned between the end plates 18 and 23 and operates normally to exert a force on the end plates 18 and 23 urging them away from each other to thereby normally urge the yokes to the closed position, as shown in Fig. 1. As the eye portions 17 and 22 of the yokes 11 and 12, respectively, are pulled apart or away from one another as would occur during the opening of a door to which the apparatus of the present invention is attached, the end plates 18 and 23 carried by the respective yokes 11 and 12 are caused to move released the compressive force of the spring 13' will force the end plates 18- and 23 away from each other thereby urging the door toward the closed position. As illustrated in Fig. 2, one end of the compression spring 13 may be positioned about a stud 26 fixedly secured to the end plate 23- with the terminal end of the compression spring 13 being received in an opening 27 provided in the stud 26 to thereby anchor the one end of the compression spring 13. Also, if desired, a guide washer 28 having a plurality of openings 29 therein may be positioned between the end plates 18 and 23 with the leg portions 16 and 21 of the yokes passing through the openings 29 to maintain the leg portions of the yokes in the desired spaced position. The guide washer may be secured to one of the pairs of leg members, for example, by upsetting or swedging the leg members of one of the yokes adjacent opposite sides of the guide washer, as indicated at 31 in Figs. 1 and 2.

An important feature of the present invention is the provision of cushioning means or check mechanism to cushion or check the terminal portion of the swing of the door to the closed position to thereby prevent the door from slamming. This is accomplished, according to the present invention, by providing a spirally fluted stud member 32 which has a fluted portion 32a thereon extending through the broached opening 19 in the end plate 18. The spirally fluted stud 32 is secured to the spring member 13, for example, by anchoring one end of the spring 13 in an opening 33 provided in the stud. With this construction, the initial movement of the yokes from the closed position toward the open or extended position will cause the broached end plate 18- to move longitudinally along the fluted stud 32 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2.. Upon continued movement of the yokes to the extended position, the compression spring 13- will merely be compressed with the end plate 18 remaining in the position shown in Fig. 2 at the base of the fluted portion of the stud 32. When the door is in its open position and is released and permittted to move to the closed position, the compression in the spring 13 will force the door rapidly toward the closed position until the yokes I1 and 12 have been moved to the position wherein the forward end of the fluted stud 32 engages the eye portion 22 of the yoke 12. The torsion of spring 13 is adjusted prior to assembly by maintaining, for example, the one end of the spring attached to the stud 26 in a fixed position, and then rotating the fluted stud 3-2 until a predetermined desired torsion has been created in the spring.

The inertia of the door will continue to move the door to the closed position and continued movement of the yokes to their fully closed position will cause the broached end plate 18 to be moved longitudinally along the fluted stud 32. This movement of the end plate 18 to the forward end of the fluted stud 32 will serve as a buffer mechanism to cushion the closing portion of the movement of the door. The cushioning effect of the fluted stud 32 and broached end plate 18 may be controlled according to the inertia of the door so that the door reaches its fully closed position without slamming hard against the door frame. This cushioning effect may be controlled by controlling the amount of torsion in the spring 13 when the yokes 11 and 12 are in their fully closed position. If the door to which the door stop is attached is relatively lightweight so that there is not much inertia to be overcome, the spring 13' may be in its at-rest position with no torsion on it when the yokes 11 and 12 are in their fully closed position and as the yokes are moved to their extended position the longitudinal movement of the fluted stud relative to the broached end plate 18 will cause the stud to be rotated due to the spiral flutes in the stud to a position wherein torsion is present in the spring 13. This torsion may either tend to wind up or unwind the spring depending on the relative direction of the spiral convolutions of the spring and the spiral flutes in the stud. Alternatively, if a greater cushioning effect is desired due to the fact that the door to which this door return is attached has a high inertia, torsion may be applied to the spring in a direction to resist movement of the stud longitudinally with respect to the broached end plate to the closed position before the spring is secured to the stud 32. The amount of torsion applied to the spring will determine the cushioning eflect of the stud and end plates 32 and 18, respectively.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the present invention provides novel door return and check mechanism which will cause movement of the door to the closed position and serve as a check mechanism or buffer to prevent slamming of the door. Additionally, it will be apparent that the present invention provides novel door return and check mechanism which is of relatively simplified construction, may be manufactured easily and cheaply and requires a minimum of maintenance.

While a particular embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention to such a disclosure and changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied therein within the scope of the following claims.

1. A door return and check mechanism adapted to be positioned between a door and door frame or the like to actuate the door to the closed position, comprising a cradle formed by first and second yoke portions, said yoke portions being interconnected for longitudinal movement relative to eachother between a closed position and an extended position, each of said yoke portions having at least one longitudinally extending leg thereon with the legs of opposite yoke portions extending in opposite directions, a first end plate secured to the end of the leg of said first yoke portion and slidably receiving the leg of said second yoke portion, a second end plate secured to the end of the leg of said second yoke portion and slidably receiving the leg of said first yoke portion, said first end plate having an irregular opening therethrough, spring means positioned between said first and second end plates operable to normally urge said yoke portions toward said closed position, and a stud member secured to one end of said spring means and passing through said end plate opening to engage said second yoke portion during movement of said yoke portions toward said closed position.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said stud member has a spiral thread portion thereo'n and is rotated during movement through said end plate opening to rotate said one end of said spring means.

References Cited in-the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,286,664 Larson Dec. 3, 1918 1,933,768 Siqveland Nov. 7, 1933 2,071,660 Schulz et a1. Feb. 3, 1937 2,198,402 Barry Apr. 23, 1940 

